THE SPORT OF ROWING FISA 2000 Video Romania Women’s Coxless-Pair 2000 Olympic Champion, Penrith Stroke Doina Ignat 5’11” 181cm 179lb. 81kg, Bow Georgeta Damien-Andrunache 5’10” 177cm 161lb. 73kg 0°, +30° to -15°, 0-9, 0-9, 0-10 Classical Technique Ratzeburg Style: high ratings, Schubschlag, ferryman’s finish the Brits and a length on Yugoslavia and the U.S. In the last 250, the Yugoslavs faded, but it was a magnificent battle for the Silver between the United States, Britain and the Australians. The French continued on to the line, with their lead diminishing but holding. In the end, it was: 1 FRA 2 USA 3 AUS 4 GBR 5 YUG 6 RSA 6:32.97 6:33.80 6:34.26 6:34.38 6:38.70 6:43.10 Concurrent Classical Technique first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth! 2000 Women’s Pairs Prior to the regatta, the favorite might have been Canada’s Emma Robinson and Theresa Luke, the defending World Champion. Indeed, Robinson was the three- time defending champion, but Luke was hobbled by an injury. The German 1999 Silver Medalists were not in Penrith. That left Karen Kraft and Missy Schwen of the United States, 1996 Olympic Silver Medalists back from a two- year retirement, and Australia’s Kate Slatter and Rachael Taylor, 1999 Bronze Medalists. Slatter was the defending Olympic Pairs Champion, having won on Lake Lanier with Megan Still.6956 After Atlanta, Slatter returned to competition only in 1999 and paired with Taylor at the second World Cup regatta of that season and then won at Vienna and Lucerne. But the crew with the true gold-plated résumé was from Romania, stroke Doina Ignat with nine World medals, four of them Gold, and two Olympic medals, one of them Gold, and bow Georgeta Damian- Andrunache with five World Medals, three of them Gold. The sixth qualifier in 2000 was South Africa, Colleen Osmond and Helen Fleming, who had been together since 1995, 6956 See Chapter 131. 1940
